reality's dead visages

[reddeadvirtuoso]

Characters: Jade Strider and you, guest-starring the Shadow Children
Setting: the Graveyard [backdated], the Morgue, the Media Room, and the stairwells
Format: Starting in prose, but I can go whatever which way.
Summary: When you're the only one left from your timeline, it's hard coping with the guilt. Then again, Jade was never very good at being a hero anyway.
Warnings: Typical voices-in-your-head insanity, generally spooky Shadow Children Event nonsense

[Floor 48 - Graveyard; Early Morning][Pre-Event]

A glamour glitch the night before had left Jade unable to fall asleep (not that she had been sleeping very soundly anyway). She didn't think to come to the graveyard right away; she'd waited until a time less likely for John to be working his graveyard shift (hah), and came in the dead hours of the morning. Not that she didn't wanna see him or anything-- she was just... kind of in a mood. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him of all people right now, given whose graves she wanted to visit.

She didn't usually like moping around so much, but-- Eri was gone, David was gone, Bro was gone even if she didn't talk to him that much (too much of a pussy; her bad). Kanaya and Karkat left awhile ago, Equius was gone too-- she was the only one left from their pocket corner of paradoxspace.

Er, sort of. They weren't all from the same timeline anyway, but that's besides the point.

She missed them all; yeah, even Karkat. Even Equius, kind of. The Daves, the Johns and Rose were all from the same timeline, and she was still the odd one out. She loved them like her own friends, but it still hurt to know that you still weren't the right one.

It had to have been months since she'd last seen them, but she still missed the Jo-Lal and Ro-Bert too (and she slightly regretted the fact she'd missed the chance to call Rose "Bob.") At least then she wasn't the only universal fuck up!

Still, she didn't like to mope so much (or at least, be seen doing it), so she'd wanted to arrive with less of a chance of anyone being around; and she sat on the ground, her clothes and arms and face still covered in dried dirt, and her sunglasses hefted up onto her forehead so she could sit cross-legged by a small grouping of gravestones and stare out into space without concentrating on shapes. It was just, easier to do that when she couldn't read the names and everything, even if those names had been why she was here.

We didn't say it had to make sense.

[Stairway][Tuesday]
She'd been minding her own business; she hadn't done anything wrong for a while now! At first she'd... just thought the shadows were weird-- she'd seen some of those units following others around, maybe that was all?

Except then they started talking.

She couldn't mistake David's voice what kind of hero breaks a promise so easily, and the other-- she'd sort of heard it recently, but that rendition in particular, it'd been so long since she'd heard it and she was certain she'd never hear it again. i thought we were best friends, jade! how could you let this hapen...

She missed them. They hated her, she knew, but she missed them. She didn't feel her energy draining away-- but she just stood there, watching the shadows instead of moving. She missed them, so much.

[Floor 26 - Morgue][Thursday]
Why had she thought to come here? She'd gotten stuck in one of the drawers before. That was a goddamn trip-- but there was no peace in her room. The shadows, the fucking shadows were following her no matter what.

She'd lost them a bit for now, but she was sure that it was only because she had run ahead so far. Jade stood there, trying to open one of the morgue drawers, trying to find some kind of hiding place-- before the Shadows caught up with her again.

[Floor 14 - Media Room][Friday]
How long had she been there? Jade was a regular on this floor certainly, but the entire day, she hadn't left. She was curled up on the couch in the media room, a pair of headphones covering her ears, despite the TV being on and playing some sort of cartoon.

She tried to appear nonchalant, but it was hard to fool anyway-- she was curled in almost a small ball, trying not to look like she was freaking out, but firmly pressing the headphones against her head. Desperately trying to drain out the noise, seriously trying to think of anything else.

She was tired. She was reaching the end of her limit, but-- in some way, she was pretty sure she deserved it, after trying to run away from them before.

after everythin i did for you an what did i get? shoulda known you were just as Useless as i Thought

No no no, it was not real he'd never say that

jade? you left me alone?! how could you think i was dead already!! i was still here you know! you didnt even try..........

She tried to ignore them. She stared at the clock. Counting the seconds as they go bye. Anything was better than listening to them, or drawing attention to the lone solitary shadow, looming over the back of the couch, silent as the others babbled on.

Nope. Just pay attention to the time. Tick, tock...

Comments

Stairway

[ghostytrainer]

[With the help of Rose and Dave, John had been able to chase away the three shadows that had been trailing him since their escape from the admin floors. And boy was he glad to not have to listen to that bullshit (for now, anyway.)]

[So when he sees Jade spacing out in the stairwell, surrounded by even more of these shadowy jackasses, he makes a beeline straight for her.]

Jade? Earth to Jade, hello? You in there, space cadet? [He waves a hand in front of her face, hoping to distract her from whatever it is the shadow creeps are saying.]

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[For a while she hardly even notices someone else is talking-- after hearing Dave and Rose, John piping up wasn't that weird, right? Was he gonna bust her for ditching him too--?

Oh wait, these shadow guys weren't that tangible.]

--Huh? Uh. [She blinked a few times, pushing up her glasses to rub her eye before concentrating on-- actual John. Not, an evil monster shadowy John.]

...You know I don't know shit about the space shtick.

[ghostytrainer]

I dunno, Jade. You were zoning out pretty good there! You sure you don't know anything about space? [He laughs.]

[reddeadvirtuoso]

I know you're a dweeb who doesn't have any respect for other people's.

[She says with a bit of a smirk in return.]

I was just listening to folks-- which is gonna get really embarrassing if I find out you didn't hear anything that I was hearing.

[ghostytrainer]

Who are you calling a dweeb, nerd?

[He punches her lightly in the arm.]

Don't be embarrassed though, that's kind of how these guys operate. Nobody else can hear them except for the person they have decided to stalk.

Graveyard

[averytinyparticle]

[Graveyards were sad places. Quark had passed it by before, several times, while he had been bouncing around floors to figure out what-was-where...but it wasn't a place he had ever really visited. He didn't know any dead people, after all. Nor did he know anybody who had disappeared from the Tower.

Still, Quark finds himself doing a double-take when he notices a familiar shape sitting among the stones. He hesitates, for a moment considering leaving her alone...but then remembers how once Grandpa told him that when people went to pay respects to their lost loved ones, they usually got sad. Wasn't it better to keep people company when they were sad?

Jade probably wouldn't want to talk, and that was okay, but maybe she'd feel less sad if he sat next to her for a little while? Just so she wouldn't be lonely. That's what Quark thought, so making his decision, he stops climbing the stairs and instead makes his way over to his newest friend.

For a long moment, he just stands next to her as he reads the names on the headstones. Not that he recognizes them, it just seemed like the polite thing to do. Then, Quark sits. As he looks up at Jade, his face contorts in a way that suggests he wants to say something, but knows he shouldn't be annoying. Not that she can likely tell what his face looks like with her sunglasses off, or anything.]

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[She didn't notice him show up at first; too stuck in her own head, staring out into... the fuzzy abyss of the room.

It's only when she hears someone sitting down that Jade realizes someone else is here, and she turns with a start to see who it is.

It's not John or anything, just Quark so... that was fine? She thinks?

She turned away quickly to let her glasses fall back down on her nose, clearing her throat and adjusting them as inconspicuously as possible.]

Uh-- 'sup, lil' man. [Yeah that was the least nonchalant thing she'd ever done.]

[averytinyparticle]

Sorry, Miss Jade...

[Quark pouts with his eyes when she jumps. Maybe he had been a bit too quiet for comfort.]

I thought you looked like you could maybe use some company while you visit your friends...but if you'd rather be alone I could go away again.

[reddeadvirtuoso]

Nah, it's cool. [She righted her orientation to at least be staring forward again, making as if she was carefully studying the etching on Eridan's name.]

Stick around if you want, I don't mind. [She leaned forward just a bit to rest her elbows on her knees and prop up her chin with her hands, her tone getting a little more flippant and jokey just out of habit.] The gang ain't really all that talkative, though. They're all terrible hosts.

Floor 14 - Media Room/Friday

[gradosfinest]

[This. Fucking. Sucks.

By the time Amelia reaches the floor 14 staircase she's exhausted and it shows, planting a hand against the wall and sucking in deep breathes in an attempt to catch her breath. Her legs are starting to feel like they're made out of jello, she hasn't slept well since the shadow children decided to stop playing nice and she feels like she's approaching her limit, both physically and mentally.

They just won't stop.

They just won't shut up.

They just won't go away.

But for the moment she's lost them after another mad sprint, they'll come back. They always come back. But right now she has a moment to think, to focus. She won't give up. She can't give up. Not after what she'd found in her mailbox a few days prior to this, she won't give this damned Tower the satisfaction of seeing her break. She just needs something, anything to focus on.

And it only takes her a moment from when she actually steps into the media room to see something to focus on.

She doesn't recognize the other person, not straight away. It's not impossible that they might have seen each other one or twice before, but she has no clue what the others name is or who they are. But what she does know is that those are more shadows around her, and while her initial gut reaction is to bolt back for the stairs and get as far away from them as she can, the rational part of her mind knows they're not after her, they're after the other person.

And that's why there's one young knight, trying desperately to look determined and not as shaky as she actually feels walking straight towards Jade's couch, glaring at the shadows as though she can simply will them away.]

Hey, hey! Leave them alone! [Or what? Neither her sword nor axe has had any effect on them, but some of them seem to flee around others. And there's only one way to find out if that'll work.]

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[The new voice-- well, she doesn't actually notice the new voice at first. It's lost in the array of her friends, and her music, and the sound of the seconds ticking by (except for the fact that she made that one entirely up in her own head. Then again maybe she was imagining the shadow things too? Hm.)

The shadows don't disperse; but it's a moment later that Jade jerks her head up and realizes there's someone there, someone that's not a (god she hoped) a fake-- actually, someone she'd never met before.

For a minute she just stared in a bit of a daze-- god she was tired-- before she finally snaps herself out of her arbitrary counting, lowing the headphones off her ears.]

...Wha...? What d'you want?

[gradosfinest]

[Of course the shadows don't disperse, why would they? That would be entail being entirely more lucky than Amelia thinks she is and when they don't move, she starts to reach for the hilt of her sword entirely out of anger before realizing the girl on the couch is actually talking, looking back down towards her.

There's a split second glance towards the staircase, she knows her own shadows could come back at any moment. They're never gone for long.

But like hell is she about to abandon somebody. She's not ready to completely give up on her duty as a knight, not yet.]

For every one of these damned shadow things to burst into flames and die. But that's not happening apparently.

[Ok, deep breaths now Amelia, caaalm...]

... we really can't stay here.

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[die?! jade you cant let her kill us! i thought... why do you want us dead so badly?! you already let dave and rose down, i thought we were your friends--!!

The thought makes her sick, and she casts her gaze to the ground at Amelia's... "suggestion."]

No, I... they're my friends. Can't just ditch 'em. I've already done that... too many fucking times before.

[myblueskies]

[Romeo swung the broom he had got in the mail, swishing it at the shadows surrounding Jade.] Leave her alone you big bullies!

Go! [He swung the broom again and the shadows retreated enough for Romeo to flop next to Jade on the couch]

[reddeadvirtuoso]

Wh--?!

[Well that was a surprising turn of events.

For a moment, Jade just sits there, her hands still covering her headphones, watching the shadows move away and retreat to a distance before Romeo's broom, before she slowly slides the phones down onto her neck.]

D-- Didn't know you were trainin' to be the karate kid...

[She's too stunned and tired to really think of a better one-liner.]

[myblueskies]

I've been practicing! [He grinned] They're just big bullies anyways.

[reddeadvirtuoso]

Not bad. [Better than her definitely not practicing with her rifle. She was still exhausted, but she did her best to smile a bit back. At least Romeo somehow made them take some distance.

The next part, she sort of ventures carefully, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.]

I guess, but... they, kinda have a point sometimes, you know?

Morgue

[alephbet]

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

What would you know about good ideas?

Aleph's retinue of shadow children seemed fairly large, but he was doing at least a moderately okay job of ignoring them as he approached Jade.

"Come on, you'll get stuck."

[reddeadvirtuoso]

It was sort of a harsh thing to think, but Jade was almost relieved when she turned and saw that the current gathering of shadow children was stalking someone else and not her. She'll just feel guilty about it later.

She stopped pulling on the handle for now, but she still kept one hand on it. "I've gotten stuck before, it's not a big deal."

[alephbet]

"There's still better options." Aleph seemed dubious.

And what would those options be? You're just giving false hope as always.

Aleph winced a little at that one, but didn't answer.

[reddeadvirtuoso]

"You know how to get rid of 'em?"

There's an almost harsher edge to her voice-- she'd be willing to try anything, really. Any idea to get rid of these assholes, any idea to make them shut up and go away.

Floor 48

[lightofhumanity]

Unfortunately for Jade, chaos sometimes rose early in the morning, and when he did so, he liked to wander down and take a long walk, usually through the graveyard. He didn't expect to see any mourners around, but when he saw and sensed the person sitting in front of some gravestones, he wandered over to her and sat beside her. It was usually easier to comfort someone if you were closer to them, after all.

"I know you do not know me, but if you wish, you can borrow my ears for as long as you like."

SORRY FOR THE LATE TAGBACK IW ASN'T IGNORING YOU I PROMISE

[reddeadvirtuoso]

Damn morning people.

The presence surprises her more than anything; for a moment she thinks a monster has crept near, and her first thought is to get up and skedaddle, but thankfully she remembered quickly enough that most of the monsters are not capable of human speech.

"Uh--" It's not that she didn't appreciate the company or the effort, but-- well she wasn't even so crazy about talking to people she actually did know.

"Nah, it's cool. It's kinda dumb anyway. Just kinda gettin' the most twisted vibes of homesickness I guess." It sounded even dumber when she said it out loud, actually.

It's alright! I was rather slow in getting to this post anyway! :3

[lightofhumanity]

Plus, it was morning, even if it was early. Most monsters would not be wandering about..and even if they were, chaos could make short work of most of them. However, at those words, chaos sighed inwardly as he spoke.

"I do not think that missing your home universe or world is foolish. It is simply normal. I have those feelings quite a bit every now and then."

[reddeadvirtuoso]

"Well it's like-- I can't even go home anyway, right? My own world got destroyed while we were still there, so we kind of just mucked up the universe a bunch."

She wasn't entirely sure why she was sharing this with a total stranger, but it's not like she was shy about all the Sburb crap anyway.

"And missing my universe is like going, 'I wish I could go back to that place that was trying to erase my existence,' basically." ... "I just kinda wish my friends were here, I guess."